Home > Dinner > Vegetarian Enchiladas Vegetarian Enchiladas January 19, 2020 | 27 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Flavorful and easy Vegetarian Enchiladas are brimming with black beans, corn, peppers, fresh lime, and cheese. We top the enchiladas with sauce, cheese, fresh avocado, and cilantro. Pair these enchiladas with an easy Italian Salad, Cucumber Salad, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts! Enchiladas are one of my go-to meals for an easy weeknight dinner and Vegetarian Enchiladas make for an even quicker meal. Without needing time to prepare meat, this meal comes together very quickly. There isn’t a whole lot of veggie chopping either because, again, we’re looking for QUICK prep time! Mission accomplished with this dynamite recipe. But while this dinner is quick, we’re not sacrificing flavor in the slightest. We balance textures, spices, and add a hit of acidity from the fresh lime to create a memorable meal. Today I’m sharing our favorite Vegetarian Enchiladas along with some quick tips, answering some enchilada questions, and giving plenty of variation ideas. Let’s get started! QUICK TIP If you’d like to serve more vegetarian dishes, this is a great one to start with! It has familiar flavors and textures, so hesitant family members will feel comfortable. Once your family is accustomed to vegetarian foods, you can expand the recipes you serve. Vegetarian Enchilada quick tips Use frozen corn or corn cut right off the cob for the best flavor and texture. Freshly grate the cheese. Store-bought cheese has a waxy coating to keep the cheese shreds from sticking together. This coating gives the cheese an “off” flavor and keeps it from melting as well. Toast the spices. Allow the spices to sufficiently toast in the skillet before adding the enchilada sauce. This gives the enchiladas a more robust flavor. Don’t forget the toppings. Some fresh avocado, fresh lime, and fresh cilantro liven up these enchiladas so much. We also love sour cream on the side! Vegetarian Enchiladas FAQs What are the best tortillas for enchiladas? Traditionally, corn tortillas are used, but flour tortillas also work and that’s what I recommend for this recipe. Look for medium-sized 8-inch flour tortillas. To fit a 9×13 or 3-quart pan, you’ll need about 8 tortillas. My favorite flour tortillas for these enchiladas are the unbaked ones by TortillaLand® (or similar brands; not sponsored). They are generally found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near cheeses. How do you make enchiladas crispy? To avoid soggy enchiladas, you can quickly fry the tortillas in hot oil which is what Bon Appetit recommends. I personally don’t fry the tortillas, just to keep them on the healthier side. (I have found the TortillaLand tortillas do not get soggy as fast, which is why I recommend those.) It’s also important to make sure the filling isn’t too wet or it will make the enchiladas soggy. Make sure to cook through the filling until it resembles the photos above this text. Finally, cover most, but not all, of the enchiladas with the sauce; leave the edges untouched with sauce. That way you’ll get crispy edges– a great textural change from the center of the enchiladas. How do you wrap enchiladas? Lay out the cooked tortilla and spoon 1/2 cup of the filling evenly down the center. Sprinkle cheese on the left side and then tightly roll up the tortilla. Place the filled tortillas in the prepared pan, seam side down. Vegetarian Enchilada variations Vegetarian Enchilada casserole: While this recipe can convert to a casserole, I have a similar popular casserole recipe that I recommend here: Quinoa Enchilada Bake. Add a grain: Add in some cooked and slightly cooled quinoa or rice to the enchiladas (2-3 tablespoons per enchilada); you’ll likely want to bump up seasonings a bit too. Vegetarian Enchiladas without beans: I’d recommend replacing the beans with other veggies such as chopped and sauteed mushrooms and/or zucchini. Get creative with the type of cheese you add: We use Monterey Jack, but sharp Cheddar cheese, Colby Jack, or even pepper Jack would all be delicious. Vegetarian Enchiladas with spinach: It’s easy to add spinach to this recipe! Coarsely chop up about 4-5 ounces fresh baby spinach and saute it with the veggies until wilted. Vegetarian Enchiladas with sweet potato: try this version here! Vegetarian Enchiladas with refried beans: Replace the black beans with pinto beans and mash them down a bit in the skillet. More easy vegetarian meals Vegetarian Chili Healthy Tacos Black Bean Burger Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito Bowls Pesto Vegetable Bowls FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Vegetarian Enchiladas 5 from 7 votes - Review this recipe Flavorful and simple to make Vegetarian Enchiladas are packed with black beans, corn, peppers, fresh lime, and cheese. The enchiladas are topped with sauce, cheese, fresh avocado, and cilantro. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Vegetarian Enchiladas 5 from 7 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Flavorful and simple to make Vegetarian Enchiladas are packed with black beans, corn, peppers, fresh lime, and cheese. The enchiladas are topped with sauce, cheese, fresh avocado, and cilantro. Course Dinner Cuisine American, Vegetarian Keyword vegetarian enchiladas Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Cook Time 15 minutes minutes Total Time 30 minutes minutes Servings 4 servings (2 enchiladas per person) Chelsea Lords Calories 236kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $6.51 Ingredients▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil▢ 1/2 small red onion, diced (1/2 cup)▢ 1 medium red bell pepper, diced (3/4 cup)▢ Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper▢ 3 cloves garlic, finely minced▢ 1 teaspoon sweet paprika (or smoked paprika for a smokier flavor)▢ 2 teaspoons ground cumin▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder▢ 1 cup frozen corn▢ 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed▢ 1 and 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce, divided (homemade or storebought)▢ 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice▢ 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas (I like cooking up the TortillaLand tortillas for these enchiladas)▢ 2 cups freshly grated Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, separated▢ freshly diced cilantro and avocado, for toppingUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add the diced red onion and diced red pepper. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon of each) and saute for 4-6 minutes, or until onion is translucent and tender. Add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds or until fragrant. Add in the paprika, cumin, and chili powder. Stir until spices are fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. (Lower the heat as needed to prevent burning.)Add in the frozen corn (no need to thaw), black beans, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, and fresh lime juice. Lower the heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, until the corn is completely defrosted, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the tortillas according to package instructions (if using raw tortillas). Set aside to let cool.In a 3-quart baking dish (9x13-inch pan), spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce along the bottom.Add a slightly heaping 1/2 cup of the veggie filling and 2 tablespoons freshly grated cheese to a cooked tortilla and roll up tightly. Place the enchilada, seam side down, in the baking dish. Repeat until you've used up all the veggie filling and 1 cup of cheese (which should evenly fill 8 tortillas).Evenly spread the last remaining 1/2 cup enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Keep the corners uncovered by enchilada sauce so they get a little crispy in the oven. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese on top of the sauce.Bake, uncovered for 15-18 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.Remove and serve immediately with diced avocado, cilantro, sour cream and additional lime juice. Video Nutrition FactsServing: 4servings | Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 85.7g | Protein: 34.4g | Fat: 32.1g | Cholesterol: 60.7mg | Sodium: 2159.6mg | Fiber: 10.6g | Sugar: 9.4g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
You have combined all of my favorite foods in this recipe! Cannot wait to make this today. Thanks for the inspiration!!! Reply
These look wonderful! My hubby loves chicken enchiladas but I tend to eat more veggies so I love this vegetarian version. Pinning to try and thanks so much for sharing Chelsea and hope you have a great week 🙂 Reply
Hi Chelsea! I love your recipes! I can’t wait to try this one! Do you have a store bought enchilada sauce that you recommend? Reply
I’ve been wanting to find a good veggie dish that my twins will like! Thank you for this recipe! Reply
I love veggie enchiladas, and it’s been way too long since I’ve made some! Making these soon! 😉 Reply
I’ve never left a food blog review before, but I made these 3 times in the 10 days after trying them (& several times since), so I couldn’t not comment! Such an easy, tasty, and healthy recipe. To make it even easier I started using jarred minced garlic and half a jar of roasted red peppers (drained & diced) so the only “real work” is dicing the onion (which I’ve also been using a whole yellow onion since that’s what I always have on hand, but I’ll definitely give it a try with red soon!). The filling is just so delicious that I’ve been making only that recently and using it for burritos throughout the week – makes for an easy lunch option! Thanks so much for the recipe – looking forward to trying some of your others! Reply
Absolute favorite enchilada recipe! SO SO good I’ve been making it for months now and it’s definitely a favorite. Reply
I love this recipe and have made it several times. I’m looking to make and freeze it for a friend. Anyone tried this before? Reply
I haven’t made these before. I’m making these for a potluck tonight. Question on how to add the cheese. Is it 1 cup of each cheese to make the 2 cups? Can I mix the 2 cheeses together? Do I add 1 T of cheddar and 1 T of Jack to each tortilla? Not sure of the directions. Thanks Reply